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Privacy Policy

Lafayette General Medical Center’s staff adheres to ethical care and business practices. Our staff understands how these good practices significantly affects the patient experience and response to care, treatment and services.

Patients deserve care, treatment, and services that safeguard their personal dignity and respects their cultural, psychosocial and spiritual values.

Organization Ethics

The hospital follows ethical behavior in its care, treatment, and services and business practices.

The hospital addresses conflicts of interest.

The integrity of decisions is based on identified care, treatment, and service needs of the patients.

When internal or external review results in the denial of care, treatment, services, or payment, the hospital makes decisions regarding the ongoing provision of care, treatment, services, discharge or transfer based on the assessed needs of the patients.

Every patient shall have the following rights, none of which shall be abridged by the hospital or any of its staff:

Individual Rights

You have the right to be involved in decisions about your care, treatment, and services provided.

You have the right to an explanation regarding procedures or tests being performed on you prior to the procedure. If you do not understand you have the right to ask questions. You have the right to be informed and give consent for recording or filming made for purposes other than the identification, diagnosis, or treatment of your medical condition, and services.

You have the right to receive adequate information about the person(s) responsible for the delivery of care, treatment, and services.

You have the right to refuse care, treatment, and services in accordance with law and regulation.

You have the right to have your wishes addressed relating to end-of-life decisions.

You have the right when appropriate, to have your family informed about the outcomes of care, treatment, and services that have been provided, including unanticipated outcomes.

You have the right to effective communication from your care providers.

You and/or your family have the right to prompt resolution of complaints.

You have a right to lodge a complaint directly with hospital regulatory agencies, either Department of Health and Hospitals or The Joint Commission, without accessing the Hospital’s complaint process.

You have the right to have the family member of your choice and your personal physician notified promptly of your admission.

You have the right to receive care in a safe setting.

You have the right of confidentiality, privacy, and security.

You have the right to access the contents of your clinical record within a reasonable time frame.

You have the right to an environment that preserves dignity and contributes to a positive self-image.

You have the right to be free from seclusion and restraints, which are not medically necessary.

You have the right to be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse or harassment, neglect, and exploitation.

You have the right to pain management.

You have a right to access protective and advocacy services.

The hospital protects research subjects and respects their rights during research, investigation, and clinical trials involving human subjects.

Individual Responsibilities

As a patient, you have certain responsibilities. The hospital identifies the responsibilities of the patients and their families as follows:

Providing information. Patients and families, as appropriate, must provide, to the best of their knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalization, medications, and other matters relating to their health. Patients and their families must report perceived risks in their care and unexpected changes in their condition. They can help the hospital understand their environment by providing feedback about service needs and expectations.

Asking questions. Patients and families, as appropriate, must ask questions when they do not understand their care, treatment, and service or what they are expected to do.

Following instructions. Patients and their families must follow the care, treatment, and service plan developed. They should express any concerns about their ability to follow the proposed care plan or course of care, treatment, and services. The hospital makes every effort to adapt the plan to the specific needs and limitations of the patients. When such adaptations to the care, treatment, and service plan are not recommended, patients and their families are informed of the consequences of the care, treatment, and service alternatives and not following the proposed course.

Accepting consequences. Patients and their families are responsible for the outcomes if they do not follow the care, treatment, and service plan.

Following rules and regulations. Patients and their families must follow the hospital’s rules and regulations.

Showing respect and consideration. Patients and their families must be considerate of the hospital’s staff and property, as well as other patients and their property.

Meeting financial commitments. Patients and their families should promptly meet any financial obligation agreed to with the hospital.

Complaint Resolution

Our goal is to go above and beyond what’s expected of us in meeting your health care needs. If we are not meeting your health care needs or expectations, we encourage you to speak with any member of our health care team.

If your concern cannot be promptly resolved, we encourage you to contact the leadership of the department and/or the Patient Representative at 289-7280. Our Patient Representative serves as a liaison between you and the hospital, and helps you resolve any concerns, complaints or questions you may have regarding your care or service. The Patient Representative is available during regular business hours and the Nursing Supervisor is available during the off hours.

If your concerns have not been addressed and/or resolved, you may report those concerns to the following agencies: